LENOIR COUNTY, NC - Obituary - John C. Edwards, d. 1917.

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                            JOHN C. EDWARDS

Original in the Collection of Capt. F. Lee Edwards, Kinston, NC

[No notation of newspaper or date]

JOHN C. EDWARDS WAS A SPLENDID CITIZEN

"Filled Well the Sphere In Which God Placed Him" - Devotion to Mother - 
"The Test of True Greatness" in Fidelity to a Friend

The subject of this sketch, John C. Edwards, was born on the 20th day of 
December, 1857, in Contentnea Neck Township, Lenoir County, near 
Edwards' Chapel and Edwards' Bridge and died on the 21st day of April 
1917 at the home of his niece, Mrs. I. M. Tull, at Tower Hill, after an 
illness of about two weeks of pneumonia.

He was the son of Carolina and Charlton Edwards, to whom was born one 
other child, Lucretia, commonly and familiarly known as Mittie, who was 
about two years the junior of John. Their father died the latter part of 
the Civil War, and about the close of the war, on account of 
disorganized and dangerous conditions prevailing the mother, with her 
infant children, moved from her home to live with her mother, Mrs. 
Elizabeth Edwards, in the Ormondsville section of Greene County. Here 
she continued to lived until about the year 1880, when her children 
being grown, she returned to her farm in Lenoir County, John now taking 
upon himself the care and responsibility of the family. His sister, 
Mittie, was married about the year 1882, to the late John B. Hill of 
Falling Creek, Lenoir County, to whom was born four children, Verna (now 
Mrs. Horace Hodges), Ethel, Ollie (now Mrs. I. M. Tull) and Marcus, all 
of whom are well known here. Mrs. Hill died while all of her children 
were yet small and though the father remarried he did not survive her 
many years and at his death the care and custody of the children 
devolved upon John and his mother, and how well he performed his part 
the children now bear affectionate testimony. He was a father to them 
and to them and his mother he gave this part of his life, freely and 
gladly. His mother, who was now advanced in years, suffered the 
misfortune of a broken hip through a fall from which she never recovered 
...[rest of the sentence covered up in the copy]...wards an invalid, 
requiring his almost constant care and attention which was given with a 
devotion which elicited the admiration of all who knew them. That his 
mother might have better attention and the children better 
opportunities, he moved to Kinston in 1903. His mother's injuries, 
together with other complications, caused her intense suffering until 
the year 1906, when she succumbed and died. But the affection John 
...[the rest of this line in the original clipping was full of typo's as 
to not make sense]...attention given her during her sufferings by both 
John and the children was indeed beautiful to behold and nothing was 
left undone that would relieve her sufferings or contribute to her 
pleasure.

Both Verna and Ollie having married, after the death of his mother the 
home was broken up and he has since made his home with them, whichever 
needed him most, making it a point to be with that one to whom he could 
render the greatest service. And as he had been to them in their 
infancy, so he was to their children, who loved him with a devotion 
equal to that which was given to him by their mother and the others. 
They called him affectionately "Uncle John" and by this name he was 
generally known.

His life has not been what the world calls a success, in that he has not 
amassed great fortunes nor has he attained great distinction. But he has 
filled well the sphere in which God has placed him. Since his early 
manhood, his life has been one of service. Nor has it been confined to 
his immediate family, but wherever he was needed it was his pleasure to 
go and render the best service of which he was capable. The writer 
remembers with gratitude and loving appreciation how, in the most trying 
ordeal that has ever come to him, it was John who came and freely gave 
himself to the service which was so sorely needed. And this is the test 
of true greatness, for our Lord has said that "whosoever would be great 
among you, let him be servant of all." He has not stirred the world with 
his achievement nor gained the applause of the world, but the sobs and 
the silent tears that flowed around his bier bear mute testimony to the 
fact that he was moved by men, women and little children and will live 
in human hearts. This is worth more than all the applause that the world 
can give.

Y. T. Ormond